Love Letter from King Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn

Actor Rahul Bose lends his golden voice to some ethereal love letters written by some great personalities from the bygone era.

King Henry VIII (1491 – 1547) of England, changed the face of both politics and religion in 16th century Europe. Determined to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, Henry broke from the Catholic Church to establish his own Church of England. In 1533 he divorced Catherine to marry Anne Boleyn. The love that he expresses to Anne in the following letter would not last long; she would be executed for infidelity in 1536.

c.1528

In debating with myself the contents of your letters I have been put to a great agony; not knowing how to understand them, whether to my disadvantage as shown in some places, or to my advantage as in others. I beseech you now with all my heart definitely to let me know your whole mind as to the love between us; for necessity compels me to plague you for a reply, having been for more than a year now struck by the dart of love, and being uncertain either of failure or of finding a place in your heart and affection, which point has certainly kept me for some time from naming you my mistress, since if you only love me with an ordinary love the name is not appropriate to you, seeing that it stands for an uncommon position very remote from the ordinary; but if it pleases you to do the duty of a true, loyal mistress and friend, and to give yourself body and heart to me, who have been, and will be, your very loyal servant (if your rigour does not forbid me), I promise you that not only the name will be due to you, but also to take you as my sole mistress, casting off all others than yourself out of mind and affection, and to serve you only; begging you to make me a complete reply to this my rude letter as to how far and in what I can trust; and if it does not please you to reply in writing, to let me know of some place where I can have it by word of mouth, the which place I will seek out with all my heart. No more for fear of wearying you. Written by the hand of him who would willingly remain yours.

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오디오북 : 2021년 2월 12일